Washington, Sep 21 - Today, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) released the following statement on the State Department’s decision to remove the MEK from the list of foreign terrorist organizations:

“I am very happy to learn the State Department has agreed to de-list the Mujahedin-e-Khalq, or MeK, from the Foreign Terrorist Organizations List. This move will expedite the relocation of the imprisoned Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty refugees who are now languishing in Iraq under the Maliki regime and are under constant threat of another deadly attack.

“The MeK was placed on the FTO list in a misguided attempt by the Clinton Administration to gain favor with the government in Tehran. The MeK are Iranians who desire a secular, peaceful, and democratic government. Nothing threatens the Mullah dictatorship more than openness and transparency.

“When the US liberated Iraq in 2003, we took responsibility for protecting the MeK civilians who were living in Camp Ashraf. The residents willingly disarmed and worked with the US military to help gather intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program. For their friendship, the US and the UN stood by while Iraqi forces twice attacked and massacred them without provocation.

“The residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty want to leave Iraq. De-listing the MeK will expedite the relocation process, allow our friends and allies to accept these refugees, and show the Maliki Government that the US will no longer support unjustified attacks on the MeK at the behest of Tehran.

“De-listing the MeK was a bipartisan effort and those involved have been sympathetic to the complex repercussions of this decision. Gratitude to Secretary Clinton needs to be expressed for this move. The lives of hundreds of the MeK misplaced persons could well be saved as result. It took a while, but in the end, Secretary Clinton made the right decision and for that we are grateful.”

Rep. Rohrabacher is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.